Cascadian Football Association (All done! Springfield and Victoria added)

[nas1787]

I did my own Cascadian Football Association concept last year (the pointy ball kind) so this is cool to see. I do have a couple points:

 

1. On the CFA logo, having 6 pentagons around the outside doesn't make a ton of sense, as it would not line up on a sphere. There should be 5 like this:

 

 

2. If you have the luxury of creating a tiered football system from scratch, why purposely choose to have the confusing Premier League as division 1 and League 1 as division 2? The weird premier to championship to league 1 makes sense in England due to history, but here it's just needless.

 

The concepts themselves are well-done. I particularly like the Timbers home kit. I do think the names and numbers on the backs of the kits could stand to be made a little larger.

[Seadragon76]

Hmm.. this ought to be a neat experiment. My only issue is this: Can you get enough locations to fill all the spots?

 

Because, here is what I am guessing for at least the CPL...

 

-Portland Timbers

-Bellevue Rainers

-Spokane FC

-Seattle Sounders

-Vancouver (BC) Whitecaps

-2nd Portland Team

-Eugene

-Salem

-Bellingham

-Vancouver (WA)

-Tacoma

-Victoria

-Bend

-Aberdeen

-Prince George

-Kelowna

-Grants Pass

-Walla Walla

-Tri-Cities

-Kelso/Longview (What? It's my home area... if you can't put them here, at least put them in the league. Please???)

[Jvhn177]

21 minutes ago, BagelHK said:

 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Dunno about thirds. Is there really such an obvious 3rd kit for Spokane?

 

Updated the adidas to be more legible.

I mean I was thinking a lilac colored kit for the lilac city

[BagelHK]

8 minutes ago, nas1787 said:

I did my own Cascadian Football Association concept last year (the pointy ball kind) so this is cool to see. I do have a couple points:

 

1. On the CFA logo, having 6 pentagons around the outside doesn't make a ton of sense, as it would not line up on a sphere. There should be 5 like this:

 

 

2. If you have the luxury of creating a tiered football system from scratch, why purposely choose to have the confusing Premier League as division 1 and League 1 as division 2? The weird premier to championship to league 1 makes sense in England due to history, but here it's just needless.

 

The concepts themselves are well-done. I particularly like the Timbers home kit. I do think the names and numbers on the backs of the kits could stand to be made a little larger.

 

With the soccer ball, I knew it didn't make much sense having 6. In the end I said screw it and took the artistic liberty so that each pentagon would line up in an alternating fashion with the star in the middle.

 

As for the league names..I don't really have an answer for you? We just kind of drew it up that way, partly because American soccer has tended to imitate European customs, and partly just because we felt like it.

 

2 minutes ago, Seadragon76 said:

Hmm.. this ought to be a neat experiment. My only issue is this: Can you get enough locations to fill all the spots?

 

Because, here is what I am guessing for at least the CPL...

-Kelso/Longview (What? It's my home area... if you can't put them here, at least put them in the league. Please???)

 

All the locations have been set, and all of your guesses have teams, although at varying levels. We had Longview in the 3rd tier, but I'll see if they can't get promoted.

[NoE38_Concepts]

Really like the crest for Spokane.

Another good job!

[BagelHK]

 

Located in Delta, BC, North Coast United are known as the Orcas. I spent a while trying to make an orca that didn't suck, and this is the current iteration, but it could still be better. I was torn between trying for a native formline style logo like the Seahawks or Canucks, and going for a sleek, black and white look like Swansea or Derby County. In the end I went with the latter, because I thought the color scheme of an orca would just work too well with an all black-and-white set of kits. The kits are nothing fancy, black and white with a symbol from Delta's flag and seal on the back of the neck, and necktape text pulled from the city motto ("Ours to preserve by hand and heart") and a theoretical chant (Orcas 'til I die).

 

--

 

Oh Orcas, how fitting the reference is on your black kit's necktape: "Ours to preserve by hand and heart." Because North Coast United have needed hands, hearts, feet, and whatever strength they can muster to avoid relegation each year. Remarkably, the Orcas have stayed afloat in the CPL, never dipping into the lower levels, but the common thought is that it is only a matter of time before they finish at the bottom. NCU has consistently played an aggressive game--pushing hard on every counterattack, putting several fullbacks into the box for set pieces, and even adopting hockey's strategy of "pulling the goalie" at times--but the Orcas have never quite had the skill to accommodate for their zealous tactics. But as Bill Nicholson once said, "it is better to fail aiming high than to succeed aiming low." North Coast takes this quote to heart, and maybe one day they'll have the talent to accomplish their lofty goals.

[BagelHK]

 

Medford Rogues FC

The Rogue River in Southern Oregon flows past the city of Medford and gives this team its name. The crest is inspired by Italian crests, with an oval shape and an interlocking monogram. I liked the idea of having a team with this kind of color scheme, and decided it would work with Medford, as they might want to put Medford on the map so to speak with a unique team. The stripes are stylized depictions of the Rogue River's path, and have led Rogues fans to affectionately refer to their crest as the Easter Egg. The stripes from the crest are present on the home jersey, with the club's signature pink and black. The clash kit reverses the colors from the home kit, with a racing stripe down the middle.

 

--

 

In the dryness of Southern Oregon, there is a glimmer of pink and black on match days that are the Medford Rogues. Soccer was never an immensely popular sport in Medford, but when the Rogues were formed, Medfordians latched on. The fans never say die, and poke fun at their own struggles. "Two-time (League One) Champions" is a popular slogan throughout the city, and a walk through downtown would yield many sightings of the phrase on bumper stickers, shirts, and scarves. The past has not been kind to the Rogues--a penalty kick that would have sent them through to the League One playoff final was sent off the post by their star captain, forcing them to remain in the 2nd tier for another season. And frankly, the future doesn't look much brighter, but Rogues fans don't seem to mind. Hopefully their enthusiasm can continue despite the continual losses of their Boys in Pink.

[FORTTE]

The Rougues abbreviation remembers me one of the teams I created years ago, kinda nostalgic. I think I found my favorite so far. hahahaha

[JosiahWVU]

All look great! Really liking the colors in this series.

[BagelHK]

Thanks for all the support guys! For anyone who might be interested in fictional histories for these teams, I don't think that will be coming, but once all the CPL teams are released, I'll write up some background info on a competition between Oregon, Washington, and BC. This tournament, along with a U.S. Open Cup/FA Cup style tournament would be the prestigious non-league trophies up for grabs between the teams of Cascadia. (Maybe we'll even see a couple non-CPL teams make surprise runs into the late stages )

 

 

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

One of Cascadia's former MLS teams, the Whitecaps came into the CPL as an established identity. I absolutely love their crest, its shapes and colors work so well, so I kept it. (P.S. the Sounders' crest is unchanged, again it was too strong to make any changes imo) For the kits, I stuck to their traditional all white homes, with the diamond shapes from the crest across the chest with the sponsor in between. For the clash, there's another diamond motif, this time making a sort of argyle pattern. The Whitecaps in the MLS have traditionally had clean kits but with certain out-of-the box details, and I tried to continue that trend with these.

 

--

 

The perennial kings of Canada, the Whitecaps' constant successes have only fueled the hatred amongst the other Vancouver-area teams. But do they care? Of course not. BC Place is always filled, despite exorbitant ticket prices that have forced the working class fans away from the stadium on gamedays. But fans aren't complaining much, because how can you complain about ownership troubles when the chairman never hesitates to provide the big $$$ to reel in big-name superstars, and silverware flows like the Fraser? Despite all this, the 'Caps are still the 3rd wheel in the Seattle-Portland-Vancouver rivalry, and are viewed negatively for simply buying their stars rather than developing them. But it's hard not to respect Vancouver, they have a system and it has worked. What remains to be seen is if all the fans' suppressed complaints will remain suppressed for much longer.

[BagelHK]

Existing teams are boring! Here's another one for today:

 

 

Tacoma SC

Located south of Seattle in Tacoma, WA, the Mariners have an interesting look, but I kind of love it. Every league needs a powder blue and white team like Manchester City, and Tacoma SC is that team. The crest is a roundel, split diagonally by a compass and by blue and white. The split look is reflected in the home kit, because I also wanted a team with halves as their signature kit. Then for the clash, much like the Timbers of today have their Rose City Red kits, Tacoma has Grit City Gray. They have a sublimated compass from the crest, which once again divides the kit into light and dark grays.

 

--

 

Their look might be fancy, but Tacoma SC has been mediocre for most of their Cascadian history. They take the Grit City nickname to heart, playing a physical brand of soccer that exhausts their opponents, but the Mariners as well. They tend to have promising starts, where their fans start to think "maybe this really will be our year." But unfortunately, it's at the moment when those aspirations seem to be right within grasp, that the Tacoma Tumble begins. They never fall so far that relegation becomes a worry, but they slip up enough that it has cost them every trophy in every competition that they have taken part in, and they have yet to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League. But the hope is that one day those hopes will continue throughout the season, and that one day the sky blue and white will lift a trophy. And despite their lack of tangible accomplishments, their physical style has always broken down the clubs of King County to the north–except in games where it counts, of course. They take the red cards in stride, but there's only so much lineup shifting that a club can take while still keeping its level of play up. Oh well, maybe next year for TSC...

[BagelHK]

bump?

[FORTTE]

Beautiful kit for Tacoma. Good choice for colors. Good job, dude! Keep it up!

[CodeG]

These all look good so far. I was wondering what program you use to create these?

[BagelHK]

1 hour ago, CodeG said:

These all look good so far. I was wondering what program you use to create these?

Thanks! I use a vector program called iDraw.

[BagelHK]

 

Richmond Lords

To the south of the Whitecaps, and to the north of North Coast United are the Richmond Lords. The Lords play out of Riverside Stadium, on the prime real estate on the waterfront of the Fraser River. Richmond's fiercest rivals are North Coast United, competing in the Cross-Fraser Derby, but both clubs are often lost in the shadow of the Whitecaps. I found Richmond's flag and city crest, and they're both cool, so the crest is pulled from that, and adjusted to the Lords' claret and white color scheme. The home kits rarely differ from a simple claret shirt with white sleeves, white shorts, and claret socks. Richmond typically has a bright, often neon clash kit, and these are no exception. A white sash broken up into smaller pieces and runs across a bright blue jersey.

 

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"They look like Villaaaaa! And they play like them tooooo!" As this opposing-fan-favorite chant displays, the Lords have never been the most successful of the bunch. In fact, they're pretty terrible. Even when they win promotion back to the CPL, it's usually not the most satisfying victory. Somehow their opponents seem to clutch defeat from the jaws of victory, and Richmond flops back into the top level. Richmond fandom isn't chosen–Christ, you'd have to be mad to choose the Lords–you're born into it. But once you're in, you can't go back, and those that don the Claret and White wear it for life. Karma would tell you that one day they're bound for a Leicester-style Cinderella story, but any Lords fan wouldn't get their hopes up. They do have one Provincial championship, so "at least we're not [North Coast] United!", but Richmond doesn't have much else to brag about.

[JosiahWVU]

Looks really good. Love the split on Tacoma.

[BagelHK]

Surprise! So a lot of this project for me and Griffin was thinking of the club culture that each team would have, and I felt like I hadn't truly shared those stories with you guys yet. Until now! I went through and added a bit of each team's history and culture to the end of each of the posts, so go check them all out to be further initiated into the world of Cascadian soccer.

 

Bellevue Rainiers

Medford Rogues

North Coast United

Portland Timbers FC

Richmond Lords

Spokane FC

Tacoma SC

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

 

And stay tuned for another team release later today!

[BagelHK]

 

Rose City Thorns FC

When the CPL was formed, the NWSL club Portland Thorns FC decided to rebrand, and to create a men's side in addition to their women's team. Like the Timbers, the Thorns already had an established fan group, the Rose City Riveters, who pack their new stadium on the banks of the Willamette River. The Thorns and Timbers play under a mile and a half from each other, making the two clubs the second closest in terms on proximity. When the two Portland teams meet, it is called the Willamette Derby, which has quickly developed into one of the biggest rivalries in the country. However, Timbers-Sounders is still the biggest because of the history of each club, and because the animosity between Thorns and Timbers fans was lessened to a degree, because many fans had followed both the MLS and NWSL sides. While the Timbers have enjoyed almost constant success, the Thorns have had the same level of success, but still have never finished below 11th in the table.

 

--

 

This crest is essentially the same as the Portland Thorns, but with the text changed. It's a really well-done crest and I didn't want to change much. For the kits, the home is a white chest stripe on a red jersey, a tribute to the uniforms that the Thorns won the season that they won the NWSL. A sublimated thorn pattern and the Thorns' "By any other name" slogan on the necktape complete the look. For the clash, I liked the thorn pattern I made, and used it to make 3 hoops of thorns on a black jersey. The clash is similar to the Timbers' current red jerseys, but I thought this one up as a concept for the Timbers before that jersey got released. Call me a psychic. Both jerseys have the rose logo on the bottom of each logo–I like how the the numbers look in the Premier League with the lion logo on them, so I used that idea here.

[JosiahWVU]

Nice. Really like the thorn pattern on the clash.